Streupflicht und Schneeschaufel

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Thanks Gabster for the inspiration for the thread!

Add your resolutions here & I can slip alongside and pretend I'll make some too.
Still too fragile - my sleep patterns go haywire when I'm home, stay up till 1 or 2am, then awake at 5am (6 here, usual flipping school time) then I come back & keep crashing on the sofa at 10pm and wake up at 4 bright & breezy.

We have snow, very pretty and h is off till Weds so am pushing him out for Streupflicht, bartered it for a fry-up with real English bacon, hmmmmmm.
Forecast is for -12C to -14C tonight - and when the children go back to school on Thursday. Yikes.

Mmm, fresh bread rolls sound yummy ML. Did you do it all from scratch or do you have a breadmaker? I used to make bread in our breadmaker but I haven't used it since moving here as German bread is frankly a lot better than what you can buy in England and there is always a bakery nearby.

Might have to have another go though as nothing quite beats the smell of freshly baked bread in the morning.

Yummy at the thought of Admylin's breakfast.

Taipo
I made the bread myself without a breadmaker but with a food processor. It only takes five minute, plus the time for rising (which I did before going to bed, then put the dough in the fridge. In the morning I just took it out, gave it one minute in the FP then let it warm up a bit while the oven was heating up. It was my first attempt so I was smug this morning at breakfast. Turned out ok, the bread was better than the rolls, I think I left them in too long.

DH has taken the kids to the museum this afternoon and I am making scones. I might make the soup for tomorrow as well.

What sort of soup did you make then mmelindt? I love soup, could live on it but I'm the only one in the family so not much point making for myself!

H took the time out to take the dc to macdonalds in the car for a burger, that's the first or 2nd time he's done that since we were in Hannover. Not exactly my idea of a great outing with their dad but that's about the best he can manage. No way would he go to a museum or do an activity with them.

Anyway, dd went off as a vampire this morning, all the dc in Hannover were dressed up. Only ds wouldn't join in so he went as himself. He was very fed up that the Gymnasium even suggested that they have a Fasching party. I think he's mildly depressed - if I'm anything to go by, I hope it hasn't rubbed off on him (probably has, I know)

I love soup too. Should make it more often really cos the dc do actually eat vegetables that way. Dd's favourite is broccoli.

We're off to the Faschingsumzug this afternoon. At least it's a bit milder today and not raining - yet. Didn't buy new costumes in the end. Ds is wearing his Tigger costume that I bought off Ebay a couple of years ago and actually fits properly this year. Dd is going as a leopard or an Indianer. I am NOT dressing up!

Thank goodness I haven't heard of any Faschingsumzüge that we need to attend!

There were some impressive looking witches this morning walking past us as we waited in the car to drop dd off!

She insisted on being driven to school this morning as she didn't want to show her self on the street. Quite a few of the girls in her class came shuffling along with long coats, hoods and hats pulled down low to hide the fancy dress and make up. All of them were secretly looking forward to it but just at that age where they were ashamed to show it outside!

bah humbug carnival (I don't GET it). Ok in Brazil where it is hot and you can jiggle about and dance, it might be fun but Faschingsumzug in the sleet?

Mind you breaks up the long dull winter which is probably the point of the whole thing.

Wonder if they have a science museum in Hannover admylin. Your dh might find that more interesting or some museum on how machines work, old steam engines etc? I still think you should get him into some father/son sport like cricket if you can. Not so much frantic movement in cricket of course but I think sport is a very good way of fighting depression.

actualyl fist tiem my dd experienced carnival in Kindergarten, she was scared STIFF. Just totally bewildered and the Erzieher had done the kindergarten up so nicely, were in fancy dress themselves, had music playing and really a nice breakfast laid out but my dd (little red riding hood, aw she was SO SMALL) just sat in a corner with big big eyes saying not one word. All the older girls (princesses) came and tried to coax her on the dance floor but she wouldn't budge. After that first time though she always loved it.

We have never done an outdoor procession though.

Ds's first Fasching at kindergarten probably spoiled it for the rest of his life !

We were told what Fasching would be like and that it was like a party and to chose a disguise.

Ds happily went to the shops with me and we bought him a mask in the dc department and a cape - he was of course a devil but I bought it all in the dc department so I presumed it was suitable.

He happily skipped to Kindergarten on the day only to have his mask and devils fork thingy taken away from him - 'too scarey for the little ones'. Poor kid, he was one of the littler ones really but they could have warned me about that sort of thing. Anyway he hates Fasching now and I'm sure that's why.

Btw, thanks for the email ZZZen. I'll email you back to plague you with my troubles soon!

I'm in the peace before the storm really admylin but I know from experience that bl* storm always seeks me out and strikes me down so anytime soon I suppose...

Having any luck on your school thread? Haven't had time to look yet. Have to go out to choir now (dd's not mine obviously). Guinea pig seems to be musical, sings along with dd, even accompanies her on the violin (although that one might be protest, dunno!)

Having a lazy day, successfully avoided all Fasching activity. Not huge here anyway & d has a collection of princess & fairy dresses she can choose from, they were allowed to go dressed up on Friday. Boys thankfully too old to dress up.

It is bliss to have a day off, didn't get dressed till lunchtime & now the 3 are downstairs, still in pjs, fire roaring, Harry Potter DVD on. No school, music, sport, homework... Had dinner at friends last night, shame we had to leave early as h had to work.

Admylin, was talking to my friend about Gymnasium, am slinking over to Schools thread..

P.S. Have shiny barely used Unold bread-maker, maybe I should sell it...

Thank goodness Fasching is over - or is it on tomorrow? Well, we don't need to have any more to do with it so that's OK! Dd came exhausted from her Fasching party. She said they'd been playing babyish party games like ones I used to play with them when they were little. Ds didn't join in too much at his thing but he told me he'd stuffed himself with sweets and chocolate all morning.

Haven't heard from either of them since they came home - both in rooms recovering. I've got the living room looking tidy today, wonder how long it'll last. Was dusting the coffee table and now I have got a splinter which I can't get out of my finger. I think I was dusting abit too vigourously - does help to get rid of tension though!

you are good, all breaking your own bread. I have NEVER baked bread. I love the smell of freshly baked bread though and often think I should try it but I never do.

I am scared off by the idea of leaving it to rise. Honestly that always throws me. I mean leave it to rise WHERE exactly? And then it's a lot of Kafaffel, isn't it: kneading it and covering it with a wet cloth and then kneading it again etc, leaving it to rise 5 x in a warm place?

However if you are all doing it, I feel I must get over myself and manage it. I just need Hupa to come on and say she bakes her own bread too and then I think I'll try it.

mind you I'm sort of hoping she doesn't

ha ha ha
bREaking your own bread.

Get a bread-maker ZZZen. You just bung all the ingredients in, press the button and wake up to the smell of fresh bread. Never actually done any kneading myself.

Well, thankfully Fasching is nearly over. There is a big Umzug in Karlsruhe tomorrow but no way am I going there.

Took the dc to the one in our town today which lasted over 1.5 hours and finished in the rain. Even ds had had enough by the end but they got a huge bag of cheap boiled sweets so they were happy. I have to admit I cringed when a group of morris dancers from our twin town in the UK went by and could see people thinking WTF?! I even heard somebody nearby say 'Nicht auslachen!' For a split second I sort of felt the opposite of homesick. Mind you, I think they had the right idea - at least they'd have been warm with all that prancing about

Lol at the morris dancers. There was a documentry on TV recently about how being a morris was a way of life etc and i was telling the dc that's British tradition - it's the first time they've found something British not to their taste!

ZZZen bread isn't that complicated to make but I would start with a homemade pizza. Tastes great. However I am a great fan of bakers and bakeries - why make your own when they can do it so much better!

There used to be a great burly looking bagpipe player who stood in a kilt on a corner of Ku'dam (main shopping street) in Berlin in all weather. Hardy Scot that one.

Now I don't mind Scottish music myself but I can do without bagpipes. It was truly awful to listen to and I pity the people in the shops right behind him who had it all day long, day in , day out. Berliners seem very tolerant of that kind of thing , badly played grate-on-your-nerves type folk music. I think they just are quite tolerant about other people's cultures, the Germans.

SO where do you put the dough to rise then admylin? Isn't it tricky to get the right temperature so it rises but you don't kill off the yeast?

I think we once had to make bread at school but it didn't rise at all and I have this feeling it is supremely difficult. Ooh maybe I can master BREAD this year and feel all successful and grown-up for a change

I was disappointed with the bread from the maker, tbh. Loaves so small, the dough hook leaves a hole in the bottom so I couldn't really cut the last bit, was wasted. Better when I got a slicer and could slice the loaf more thinly.

NOT for the squeamish: haven't used the slicer for a year since I sliced the tip... er, you get it. Shudder.

Also never got the right consistency. Used different bread mixes, got a recipe from an English friend and Germans, tried them all.

If I didn't take the bread out of the machine right away it went soggy.

Then I had a load of thin flat loaves, dodgy yeast maybe. Kept chucking them out and eventually threw one away with the dough hook still in it. In our composter in the garden, may reappear one day! In the meantime, I have never got around to buying a replacement.

The Unold is meant to be a decent make. Am supposed to be able to make jam in it. Any ideas?

thanks for that finks, sort of reconfirms me in my belief that bread is WAY too difficult (even with a breadmaker).

Wonderign how you make jam in a bread maker

The hook hole puts me off getting a bread maker.

I use dry yeast and I let it rise in warm water and sugar for 15 minutes - it goes all frothy, then I make the dough, knead a bit then shape the loaf/roll and leave them next to the oven which is switched on high to heat up - after an hour I shove them in the oven and that's it. Probably not the recipe book way but it works. Sometimes if the heating is on I put the tray on the window ledge near the heating.

Homemade jam is so easy with that gelierzucker you can get here . All sounded so complicate din UK cookery books but with that stuff it works every time. I used to make it myself when we lived in the south. Pick own strawberries with the dc then make fresh jam. Also tried redcurrants mixed in and vanilla added, blackcurrent was ds's favourite. Thinking back we used to do a hell of a lot together back then when they were tots, don't get anything done now except homework and school.

Zzzen - I´ve never baked bread in my life, so you can be reassured you´re not alone. I must admit that German bread is generally fantastic, so I don´t feel the need. If I ever moved back to the UK I would be tempted because British bread is generally pretty crap. Mind you I do enjoy eating really squishy sandwiches when I go back.

Talking of which I was in London at the weekend. A really lovely weekend away without dh and the dc, so I could really unwind and catch up with friends (and scoff enormous amounts of food, if I´m being honest).
It was really amazing how many house were up for rent - must of been at least 5 - 10 in every road around where my friend lives. I assume it´s people who can´t afford to sell, so have downsized into rented accommodation themselves and are hoping the rent will cover their morgage.

Actually isn't it pancake day? Might make a few for the dc this afternoon.

Hupa, I wonder what they were asking for rent in London? I was shocked last time h was applying for a job there and I wa slooking at 3 bedroom flats - rent was same as our place here but per week